Aka no Arashi
by MasterZezzo
Summary: Aka no Arashi, the only survivor of the destruction of Uzushiogakure. Found beaten and batter near the Final Valley by Konoha, he will recover and regain his strength, and finally get his revenge on the man that destroyed his village, who made the mistake of letting him live. Uzumaki Takeshi has grown, and this time he knows he can't do it alone. Mainly OC-centric, slight AU.
1. Prologue

Starting a new story. I've actually had the idea for a while now, but it left and sort of came back. Anyway... That's all I've got to say. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I own neither Naruto nor any of the characters, plot lines, or anything else. I do, however, own a few of the characters represented. (Takeshi, for instance.) Don't touch my OCs.

* * *

I was blind.

I had awoken, not minutes ago, lying on a soft surface in a chilly place. The final images of my battle flashed through my mind, and my first thought was to open my eyes. Instantly, my vision exploded in white light, burning my sensitive eyes and causing my head to throb painfully.

_Beep… beep… beep…_

With a groan, I closed my eyes once more. I had no idea where I was. I couldn't remember what happened. I was fighting _him._ The one responsible for the demise of my village. My country. My _family. _They were even. He had a chance to kill the man. One slip up, and he would have been dead. Then the other one had attacked with those damned explosions. Then… darkness.

_Beep… beep… beep…_

My muscles ached, even as I lie there. I could feel a tight cloth against my skin, signaling bandages. I didn't know where I was, and I couldn't afford to let my guard down. I had to-

_Beep… beep… beep…_

Once again that infernal noise cut into my thoughts. The annoying sound was becoming shriller and more frequent with every passing moment. I-

_Beep beep…. Beep beep…_

'_Must stay calm… it won't you any good to-'_

_BEEP BEEP BEEP…. BEEP BEEP BEEP…_

"Raaargh!" with a mighty roar, my eyes shot open, blinding me once more though with less pain. I launched myself from where I was laying, to swing a fist, full force, at the offending noise-maker.

…or at least I tried to. As soon as I made to get up, I was pulled back down onto the bed.

'_Restraints.' _I realized.

As the whiteness faded, I found myself looking up at the ceiling of a hospital. I did a once over around the room. It was pretty bare, and white. The typical hospital equipment lying around the room.

_Beep… beep… beep…_

I looked over, finally seeing what was making the enraging sound. A heart monitor. Sighing, I lied my head back onto the bed. If the people who put me here were my enemy, then they wouldn't have me bandaged up in a hospital bed. They would have me in a prison.

…but then… the restraints.

Looking down at my wrists, I saw the metal cuffs binding them to the bed. Each with a simple seal plastered on it.

I knew what type of seal it was, right away. A chakra seal. I wouldn't be able to mold any chakra like this, nor could I escape. Definitely a shinobi village. I could not tell which one, as the only window in the room was covered by a white curtain, only allowing light into the room and not the image of the scenery outside it.

Suddenly, the door opened. My gaze shot over, to catch two of what could only be ANBU of Konoha step into the room, followed by an elderly man clad in white and red robes.

Sandaime of Konoha. Shinobi no Kami. Sarutobi Hiruzen.

I wasn't one for gawking at legends, so I merely stared back at him, impassively.

"Aka no Arashi." The aged man began. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The man had a kind smile on his face, but there was a look in his eyes that told me this was not a social visit.

"The pleasure is mine, Hokage-sama." I replied politely, keeping up my impassive face. The face of a shinobi.

The man's smile never dropped. "Would you mind answering a few questions?"

I shrugged my shoulders to the best of my ability, hiding my wince as I felt a small wave of pain course through my body. "Sure. It's not as if I'm going anywhere."

Sarutobi chuckled. "I suppose that is true. Very well, Aka no Arashi, we can start with your name." he paused, the smile dropped and his face morphed into a more serious expression. "What is it?"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, but I believe you just said it."

"No. Not your title. Your name." the corner of his lips twitched a bit. "I wouldn't very well like it if everyone I knew called me Shinobi no Kami. Humor me."

With a sigh, I peered at the powerful elderly man standing in front of me, his two ANBU guards standing on either side of him.

"There's no way around it, then?" I asked rhetorically.

I received a shake of the head as a reply.

"Very well…" I sighed, staring back at the man through my deep red locks. "My name is Uzumaki Takeshi."

* * *

If you have any questions, ask away.


	2. Chapter One: Interrogation

Chapter One:

Interrogation

Uzumaki Takeshi. Soul survivor of the destruction of Uzushiogakure.

The Sandaime Hokage nodded, as if expecting the answer. No doubt I held the typical look of an Uzumaki, not that one had been seen in several years.

"I suspected as much." He began. "You look like you could be Kushina's twin brother."

Kushina…

She was that girl that left for Konoha when Mito-sama came all those years ago.

"Kushina… is she alive?" I inquired, curiously. While I was the only survivor of the destruction of Uzu, I was not the only one of the Uzumaki clan left alive.

The man's face became grim.

"I'm afraid not. She passed away twelve years, in the Kyuubi attack."

I had expected as much. The Kyuubi ravishing Konoha was not something unheard of. In fact, it was widely known, it being the most recent attack on a village by a bijuu.

Clearing his throat, the Sandaime began to speak once more. "Do you know where we found you?"

"No. Please enlighten me, I am a bit curious myself."

"You were drifting along the river, dangerous close to the waterfall that flows into the Final Valley. You're lucky a patrol squad found you when they did, otherwise you would be surely be dead."

A blunt fellow, wasn't he?

"How did you get there?" he pressed on with another question, not allowing me time to think.

"I was fighting someone… then I was blind sided by his partner." I explained. "The explosion probably threw me into the water."

He accepted the explanation with a nod.

"Who was your opponent?"

I was hesitant to tell him. Nobody was aware of how Uzu was destroyed. The only living people to know this are the one that committed the deed, his few allies, and me. Everyone else that would know is long dead.

There was no way around it, though.

"Akasuna no Sasori."

Sarutobi's eyes widened a fraction, but he quickly gathered himself, putting his poker face back on. "I see. Why would you pick a fight with such an opponent?"

"That's personal, I'm afraid."

"I won't delve any deeper than that, then. Do you know who this partner of his was?"

"No. I didn't get a good look at him, either. All I really remember about him is blonde hair and the same cloak that Sasori wore."

"Cloak? What sort of cloak?"

"Well… it was black, with red clouds on it." As soon as the words left my mouth, the Sandaime's face turned grim. This time he did not set it back into his business face.

"Are you a Jinchuuriki?"

The question took me by surprise. Why ask such a thing? Did the Jinchuuriki have some connection with the black cloaks those people wore?

"No…" I began with much hesitation. "No, I'm not. You know something… about the black cloaks, don't you?" He didn't respond.

"What do they have to do with the Jinchuuriki?" This time, his eyes met mine with a fierce look. This obviously wasn't something I should push.

"That's all we need for now. You will be escorted to the T&I department for further questioning later." With that, he moved to exit the room.

"Hold on!" I called out to him, trying to catch him before he left. It worked, and he stopped in his tracks, looking back to me. "Where's my sword?"

My sword. Uzu no Hokori. Within the shining blue blade of the blade, lay the power of all of Uzushiogakure. The hopes, dreams, and strength of the ones that once lived. It contained it's own chakra source, which rivaled that of a Jinchuuriki. Generations of chakra had been poured into the blade. Wielding the sword granted the user a limitless water source, and a mastery over the element. Intricate seals were drawn into the red handle of the sword, so that only one may wield the sword.

Ever.

Once the sword had been claimed, it was claimed forever. Once the wielder died, there would be no one else able to use the sword. Unless of course they implanted the hand of the previous user onto themselves, but nobody would be crazy enough to do that… right?

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to give you that information. Perhaps after your interrogation. For now, farewell."

He was gone. With his ANBU guards in tow.

_'First thing's first…' _I decided. _'I have to get out of these damn restraints!'_

* * *

Several hours later, I sat in a chair in the T&I department, my hands tied together behind the back of it by more chakra restraints.

_'So this is Ibiki?' _I thought to myself, as I looked back impassively at said scarred man. _'I expected... more.'_

"Is this really necessary? I mean, I'm not going to withhold any information from you. I have no allies or village. For all you know, I'm _your _ally. Interrogating me could have a negative effect." I began to explain, not looking forward to a tedious game of ask and answer. "Why don't you just have a Yamanaka mind walk me? It seems much faster."

Being the expert in fuinjutsu that I was, I have seals placed all over me. Some are for storage, some are for weighing me down, and some have a multitude of other uses. I even have seals that only allow my mind to open up to whoever I choose to, and I can show them whatever I want in my mind. This makes me immune to most genjutsu.

Fuinjutsu truly is the greatest of the Shinobi Arts.

"While I'm sure that would be much faster, we would be able to get more out of you this way. Nice try, but you're not getting out of this."

"Morino-san, you could ask me questions all day. You could torture me all you like, physical or psychological." I smirked at him. "There's nothing you can do that's worse than what has been done to me in my life time. You cannot manipulate me, either. I know what is true, and I know what isn't."

"You can believe that all you like, but you've never been interrogated by _me._" Ibiki said, with a slightly amused smirk.

"...and he won't be."

I looked up at the new face behind Ibki, as he turned to look at the same man. From the look of him, there was no doubt that this was a Yamanaka. _'It seems I get my wish.'_

"Hokage-sama sent me. I'm sure you can imagine why." the blonde man muttered to Ibiki.

With a grunt of recognition, Ibiki stepped aside, allowing the man to step towards me. "Fine fine. This is your lucky day, Uzumaki."

Like hell.

"This will only take a moment. Don't bother resisting, you won't be able to. Let me get the information I need and then you can be on your way... to Hokage-sama or to the prison." Without giving me a chance to respond, the man quickly formed hand seals, before raising his hands to me in an odd shape. "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

Inoichi was falling.

He had never felt anything like this before. Memories would be random and unorganized, sure, but he usually had the freedom to move about and search them of his own free will.

Not now, however.

He was following through what could only be described as a void. There was nothingness around him.

Terrified, he desperately tried moving his arms and legs, only to find that there were trapped in place. He couldn't cancel the technique.

"What the hell is this?!" Panicking, Inoichi struggled in vain against invisible bonds, before a sudden flash of light entered his vision. Then, he was suddenly standing on solid ground, pain coursing through his veins. With a loud groan, he involuntarily fell to his hands and knees, struggling to keep himself balanced.

_'Wh-what's happening?!'_

"Foolish." Inoichi found himself looking up, against his will, into the eyes of a young redheaded boy in a brown cloak. The remains of what could only be puppets surrounded them. "I destroyed your entire country, singlehandedly, and you come to challenge me? You've destroyed quite a few of my puppets, and even Hiruko."

Inoichi looked up into the emotionless eyes of the boy. "...but now, a special poison of mine has entered your body. It won't kill you, don't worry. It is meant to cause excruciating pain to the person it enters. I'm sure you can't even move by now. What a pity, you were so strong, yet so foolish. You're make a wonderful puppet."

Inoichi heard himself grunt in a voice that wasn't his own. "D-don't..." he raised his right hand until the palm was facing up. The action felt like thousands of burning hot needles were being pushing into his skin. He spit a glob of blood onto his palm and a sealing pattern appeared, before smoke engulfed his hand.

"Don't think you've won!" He violently swung the weapon that was now in his hand, controlling the chakra inside it. From seemingly nowhere, a wave spout from the ear, rushing forward to crash into redheaded boy. The boy was thrown back by the water, unexacting the attack. Inoichi quickly stood, ignoring the pain throughout his body and gripped the sword firmly, pointing it forward.

With a bit of concentration, a ball of water began forming at the tip of the blade, as a ball of condensed air and violent winds forming in his free hand. With a grunt of exertion, Inoichi launched both abilities. They collided halfway to their target, the redheaded boy who was recovering from the earlier wave, and formed a vortex of water and violent winds.

The vortex collided with the redheaded boy, and Inoichi watched in awe as the boy's body was torn to pieces.

He resisted the urge to collapse again, knowing that the fight was not over, he charged at the pieces of the boy before he could put himself back together. He was there, sword poised to pierce the heart of the redheaded boy that was no doubt in the strange looking container that was located within the chest piece of the evident puppet.

Then, he caught a glimpse of blonde hair and a black cloak, before...

"Katsu!"

An astounding amount of heat lit up his right side, then Inoichi saw black.

* * *

Coming to, I watched as the blonde man in front of my gasped, feeling areas of his body that I knew had been injured the worst in my battle. Phantom pain was a bitch.

"Yamanaka-san...?" Ibiki looked concerned. Perhaps not for the blonde man, but more like he was eager to have a reason to hack into me.

"I'm... I'm fine..." the man paused for a moment, catching his breath no doubt. "I've never had a mind walk like that before. Anyway, he appears to have been telling the truth, he fought Akasuna no Sasori. He him on the ropes, even! Then that other man..." The Yamanaka appears to be lost in thought.

Ibiki grunted in disdain, and perhaps more than a little disappointment.

"I shall inform Hokage-sama." the blonde man gestured towards me. "Come on, you're coming with me."

I was tired of being commanded by everyone and their mother, but I didn't really have much of a choice. Sighing, I stood awkwardly, slipping my restrained hands from behind the chair.

"Maybe some other time, Morino-san."

The man grunted once more in response.

A bear indeed.

* * *

"Enter." the voice of the elderly Hokage called to us.

The blonde man opened the door to the office and we both stepped in. I instantly noticed the ANBU guards hiding in the room. Not that they lack skill, I'm just a talented sensor if I do say so myself.

"Report, Inoichi-kun."

Inoichi Yamanaka, eh? I held back a snort. The first born boar of the mountains... how... creative.

"He definitely faced off against Akasuna no Sasori. There were puppets everywhere, though Sasori looked incredibly young." pausing, Inoichi donned a slightly disturbed look on his face. "From what I saw, Sasori has turned himself into a puppet. Hundreds of puppet parts littered the ground."

"I see. What if this partner of his?"

"I'm not sure. I only got a quick glimpse of him before... well, an explosion is the best way to describe it. He was too tired, injured, and distracted to be able to dodge."

The Hokage nodded, expecting as much in his seemingly infinite wisdom.

"Anything else you would like to report?"

"Hai." Inoichi swallowed, trying to think of how to word his next statement. "I.. It was strange. Usually I'm able to shift through memories at my own pace in a mind walk... but when I entered his mind, I was falling in nothingness. Then I was suddenly in the memory I needed. I couldn't access anything else, though."

The Sandaime hmm'd thoughtfully. "Is there anything else?"

Inoichi nodded slowly. "There was... Sasori mentioned destroying an entire country. I have reason to believe that..."

"Yes, Inoichi-kun?"

"...that Sasori destroyed Uzushiogakure."

* * *

**A/N: **I didn't quite want to cut if off there, but I didn't feel like typing any more for this chapter.

As you can see, I've altered the ages of some of the characters, like Sasori for instance. I believe he was only two or three when Uzu was destroyed? I'm not sure, but now he's the one that destroyed it.

If you have a problem with it, and decide to complain to me, then it's obvious that you didn't bother to read this, therefore you don't truly want answers which means that I have no reason to acknowledge your questions.

Farewell!


	3. Chapter Two: Ramblings of an Old Man

Chapter Two

Ramblings of an Old Man

To say that I was surprised to see this... Uzumaki Takeshi would be an understatement. He looked just like Kushina. He could have been her twin.

He may have been, for all he knew. He was surprised to see the man being dragged in by ANBU, unconscious and beaten. He had heard stories of the Aka no Arashi, and the red hair that was always associated made him suspicious... but for it to be true. It was surreal.

He instantly told his ANBU to restrain the man. He watched in mild curiosity as one of his ANBU grabbed the expensive looking sword by the handle, only to have a pulse of water shoot him several yards away.

In the end, they had to contain the sword first, and then move it. When that was done, the medics began working to heal the man before sealing of his chakra and restraining him to a hospital bed.

They were shinobi, they had to be careful. If he was an enemy, someone of his reputation could do massive damage before he was stopped. It was better they not take the chance.

After the boy had been retrained, I had sat at my desk, lost in thought while puffing my pipe.

A living Uzumaki.

It was no secret that Uzushiogakure had been destroyed in the Second Shinobi War, but nobody had any idea how. No armies marched upon it, and most couldn't even get close due to the violent whirlpools that surrounded the village. Even then, there were numerous seals protecting it from intruders.

No, it had to have been done by a small group of people, and not an army. They would have had to have someone proficient in fuinjutsu, as well. Unless, of course, the attack had come from inside the village to begin with, but he highly doubted that. Uzu was a very family oriented village. They valued their comrades more than they valued their own lives, a motto that Konoha agreed with and attempted to copy more or less.

During the war, they had noticed that Uzu had gone silent. A scouting team was sent out to see what the problem was. At the time, they had feared betrayal. The reality was much, much worse.

The scouting team came back with their report. Uzu was in ruins. There were no signs of life, and there were very few bodies to be recovered, mostly those of elderly or children. The whirlpools that surrounded the village were nowhere to be found.

It was then that we believe Kushina had to be the last Uzumaki. We were wrong, and this man was proof.

I blinked, snapping myself out of my thoughts as I looked at said man in front of me.

His deep red hair, a consistent trait of the Uzumaki, was long. It went down to the base of his neck, draping over his shoulders on the sides. His eyes were a pale blue, nearly grey in color. He was wearing a simple black shirt, and a pair of white pants with a simple pair of civilian sandals.

The clothes he wore when he was found were far too tattered to be used, and there had been no good reason to give a potential enemy shinobi gear.

The man's face resembled that of Kushina's, though his was more angular and didn't keep as much of the baby fat as Kushina's did.

He held a seriousness in his eyes that Kushina never had, though. The way he stood... he was released and confident even in the face of a Kage, it was obvious that he was confident in his abilities. It was also obvious that the man was prepared to make for an escape at a moment's notice, chakra or no chakra.

He had, no doubt, noticed the ANBU hidden as soon as he walked in. Even Inoichi handn't.

It had come as quite a shock when it was revealed that Sasori had taken out the entire country of Uzu by himself. Even if he was an S-Rank Missing Nin, to have the capacity to do such a thing... it was astounding. The man in front of me had no doubt wanted revenge. From what Inoichi had said, the man almost had that revenge if it weren't for the interference from another.

The more worrying part of what he learned that day, was that Sasori, a member of the Akatsuki, had taken down an entire country. As long as Konoha contained a jinchuuriki, the Akatsuki would be her enemy. There is no doubt in my mind that there are those much stronger than Sasori in the Akatsuki.

Jiraiya needed to come back soon.

With a sigh, I shook myself from my thoughts once more. We had been sitting in an awkward silence for nearly ten minutes because of me.

"Takeshi-kun."

The man winced. At the honorific, or just the use of his name alone I am unsure.

"Hai, Hokage-sama?" I resisted the urge to smile. He was polite. It seemed that the brashness didn't run throughout all Uzumakis.

Then again, he did run head on to challenge and S-Rank Shinobi. Not that he himself was not near the level of a Kage. No, I could tell that just by looking at him. The rumors certainly aided that conclusion.

"I have much to ask you about. However, I will start with something that ought to be fairly simple." I paused. Talking about the secret techniques of your clan was simple? I'm definitely losing my touch with public speaking. "As the last Uzumaki, you mus-"

"No."

I raised an eyebrow. Had he known what I was going to say?

"Pardon?"

"No, I'm not the last Uzumaki."

My eyes widened slightly, before I gathered my wits about me and steeled my expression. "How are you so sure?"

"I'm not, however, I believe it is a safe assumption." he looked at me thoughtfully, as if thinking if he should continue or not. I didn't have to prompt him to. "There had been a boy, Nagato. He should have been around my age. He and his family left for somewhere else before the attack. Then, there was another family that left, wanting to see the world."

I looked at him skeptically. Considering that it was war time, that lessened the chances of a child and some family living through it. There was no point in arguing this, however.

"Regardless, you are the only known survivor of the Uzumaki. As such, you must own sealing techniques and jutsu, correct?"

The man replied with a disdainful look. "Hmpf, not particularly."

"What do you mean?" I was not to be perturbed by his reluctance to talk about this subject.

"I know very few of the Uzumaki techniques. Everything I know I've learned from others throughout the world or created myself."

This took me by surprise. This man had gained the a title the was feared throughout the land, just like any other legend, and his arsenal of techniques and jutsu was completely his own. This man truly was something to be feared.

...or harvested.

"I see." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, before casting him a meaningful look. "I have a request."

"What would that be?" I had a feeling that he already knew what I was going to say.

"Seeing as how you're not a missing nin, yet aren't affiliated with a village, you would be free to join a Hidden Village should you choose to." There was no point in beating around the bush. "You have committed no crimes against Konoha, so I am willing to induct you as a citizen of the village, if you agree to protect it and your comrades with your life."

"Why would I agree to that?"

"Uzu and Konoha were close due to the ties between the Senju clan and the Uzumaki clan, and it would give you a safe haven for some good old R and R."

"Last I checked, there were no Senju left in Konoha, and I don't need a safe haven."

I let out a sigh, knowing there was no point in trying to impart my wisdom on a 'safe haven' to him. His mind was set, and he was not a naive genin. He would not be easily convinced. An idea sparked in my mind.

"Very well." I said slowly, before I took a breath and began talking once more. "...but at the very least, stay until _her _son returns."

He titled his head to the side, a look of intense curiosity and suspicious evident in his eyes. "Her son?"

"Yes." I did the best I could to hide my smirk. "Kushina's son."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

**A/N: **I have nothing to say here.


End file.
